Trump announces exit of 'warrior' spokeswoman Sarah Sanders

Outgoing White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders says she
loved her job, but she has been widely criticized for halting the
long-established daily briefings

Outgoing White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders says she
loved her job, but she has been widely criticized for halting the long-established
daily briefings

Washington (AFP) - President Donald Trump on Thursday
announced the surprise departure of his spokeswoman Sarah Sanders, after a
combative tenure that saw her all-but kill off traditional White House
briefings to journalists.

Sanders has been one of Trump's most loyal foot soldiers,
almost constantly at his side during his tumultuous two and a half years at the
White House and during the campaign before.

Trump announced her exit in a tweet and did not name a
replacement.

"After 3 1/2 years, our wonderful Sarah Huckabee
Sanders will be leaving the White House at the end of the month and going home
to the Great State of Arkansas," Trump said, adding that he hoped she
would run for governor of her state.

Sharp, sometimes acid-tongued, Sanders has not been prone to
the almost comic slip-ups that embarrassed predecessors in the job, such as
short-lived Trump spokesman Anthony Scaramucci.

But she has earned a reputation for bruising clashes with
journalists whom she finds over-critical -- often echoing her boss's attacks on
unfavorable coverage as "Fake News."

At a White House event Thursday on reintegration into
society for ex-prisoners, Trump interrupted proceedings to summon the
"warrior" Sanders from the audience and lavish praise on her record.

Calling her "a friend, a woman, a great, great
magnificent person," Trump said, "she's very popular."

In fact, Sanders, 36, has a sometimes bitter relationship
with the White House press corps and is seen as responsible for the demise of
the formal daily briefing -- practically an institution under previous
presidents.

Pressed during one particularly combative briefing to
distance herself from Trump's characterization of the media as the "enemy
of the people," Sanders refused.

The last time she took to the podium for a back-and-forth
with reporters in the White House briefing room was March 11. Instead, she
communicates largely through interviews on the president's favorite TV network
Fox News and short, informal briefings with other journalists outdoors.

She has also been accused of telling repeated lies to
reporters, although she denies this.

Despite Sanders' damaged reputation in media circles, there
had been no hint from the administration that her exit was imminent.

Sanders' father Mike Huckabee is a former Republican
governor of Arkansas, making her something of a member of conservative royalty.

Her departure comes the same day a US watchdog agency
recommended Trump fire White House counselor Kellyanne Conway, saying the close
aide to President Donald Trump repeatedly violated a law restricting political
activity during her official work.

- No tears -

Called up to the microphone by Trump at the ex-prisoners'
event, a visibly emotional Sanders said she would "try not to get emotional,
because I know crying can make us look weak."

In a brief address, the spokeswoman praised Trump and her
colleagues at the White House, saying she "loved every minute" of the
job.

"I'm going to continue to be one of the most outspoken
and loyal supporters of the president and his agenda and I know he's going to
have an incredible six more years and get a lot more done," she said.

She made no mention of the media or the role of journalists
at the White House.

Although Sanders is often blamed for the White House's
killing off of the press briefing, she has been serving a president who from
the start decided to tear up the media playbook.

With Trump communicating directly via Twitter and other
social media to tens of millions of people every day, the traditional role of a
press office putting out statements has become partly redundant.

And while journalists now rarely hold the administration's
feet to the fire in the calm, organized setting of the briefing room, they have
extraordinary access to Trump himself.

The president holds his own impromptu weekly briefings in
the Oval Office or out on the South Lawn before boarding his Marine One
helicopter. In contrast to real press conferences, these occasions can be
chaotic and are rarely carried on live television.

Sanders may not speak much, but she is always there -- in
the background.